BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


The  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 

L.  S.  ROWE Director  General 

FRANCISCO  J.YANES   -   -   Assistant  Director 


Report  to  the  Governments  of  the 

Republics,  Members  of  the  Pan  American 

Union,  on  the  work  of  the  Union  since 

the  close  of  the  Fourth  International 

Conference  of  American  States 

Covering  the  period 
1910  to  1923 


Submitted  by  the 
Director  General  of  the  Pan  American  Union 

in  accordance  with  a  resolution  of  the 

Fourth  International  Conference  of  American  States 

Adopted  at  Buenos  Aires,  August  //,  1910 


Washington,  D.  C. 
January,  1923 


GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 


The  P^N  AMERICAN  UNION 

L.  S.  ROWE Director  General 

FRANCISCO  J.  YANES    -    -    Assistant  Director 


Report  to  the  Governments  of  the 

Republics,  Members  of  the  Pan  American 

Union,  on  the  work  of  the  Union  since 

the  close  of  the  Fourth  International 

Conference  of  American  States 

Covering  the  period 
1910  to  1923 


Submitted  by  the 
Director  General  of  the  Pan  American  Union 

in  accordance  with  a  resolution  of  the 

Fourth  International  Conference  of  American  States 

Adopted  at  Buenos  Aires,  August  //,  1910 


Washington,  D.  C. 
January,  1923 


GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 


f- 


L*-    -    -'• 


\J 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


•4  Page 

INTRODUCTION 1 

THE  PUBLICATION  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 2 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  IN  DEVELOPING 
CLOSER   CULTURAL  TIES   BETWEEN    THE    REPUBLICS    OF    THE 

AMERICAN   CONTINENT ^ 7 

THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  AS  A  CENTER  OF  EDUCATIONAL  INFOR- 
MATION         11 

THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  AS  A  SOURCE   OF  COMMERCIAL  IN- 
FORMATION          15 

THE    ACTIVITIES    OF    THE    STATISTICAL    DIVISION    OF    THE    PAN 

AMERICAN   UNION 18 

THE  REORGANIZATION   OF   THE  INTERNATIONAL   SANITARY  BU- 
REAU  ; 21 

RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  DIRECTOR  GENERAL...  23 


APPENDIX. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 26 

(m) 


REPORT  OF  L.  S.  ROWE,  DIRECTOR  GENERAL  OF  THE  PAN 

AMERICAN  UNION. 

Submitted  in  accordance  with  the  provision  of  Article  I,  section  8, 
of  the  resolution  of  the  Fourth  International  Conference  of  American 
States,  adopted  at  Buenos  Aires  at  the  session  of  August  11 ,  1910. 

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  resolution  adopted 
at  the  Fourth  International  Conference  of  American  States,  the 
Director  General  of  the  Pan  American  Union  begs  to  submit  herewith 
a  report  on  the  work  of  the  Pan  American  Union  during  the  period 
since  1910,  the  date  of  the  Fourth  International  Conference  of 
American  States. 

This  is  the  first  time  that  I  have  the  honor,  as  Director  General 
of  the  Pan  American  Union,  to  submit  a  report  to  the  International 
Conference  of  American  States,  and  I  desire  to  avail  myself  of  this 
occasion  to  express  a  deep  sense  of  obligation  for  the  valuable  assistance 
and  enthusiastic  support  which  I  have  received  from  the  members 
of  the  Governing  Board  of  the  Union. 

Whatever  results  have  been  accomplished  have  been  due  in  large 
measure  to  their  interest  and  encouragement,  and  I  want  to  take  this 
occasion  to  give  expression  to  my  gratitude  and  obligation. 

I  also  desire  to  express  a  deep  sense  of  appreciation  to  the  officials 
of  the  Republics  of  the  American  Continent,  who  have  given  to  the 
Pan  American  Union  the  most  earnest  and  enthusiastic  cooperation 
whenever  such  cooperation  has  been  requested. 

The  Pan  American  Union  to-day  occupies  a  unique  position, 
serving,  as  it  does,  the  broad  cultural  and  economic  interests  of  the 
twenty-one  Republics.  With  each  year  the  services  rendered  are  be- 
coming more  concrete,  more  practical,  and  more  helpful.  Assured  of 
the  continued  support  of  the  Governments  of  the  American  Continent, 
there  are  no  limits  to  its  possibilities  of  usefulness. 

The  13  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the  meeting  of  the  Conference 
at  Buenos  Aires  have  been  most  fruitful  in  expanding  the  sphere  of 
usefulness  of  the  Pan  American  Union.  At  the  outset  of  this  period 
the  Union  entered  into  the  possession  of  the  splendid  building  which 
it  owes  to  the  munificence  of  Andrew  Carnegie.  Thus  endowed, 
the  Union  has  been  able  to  utilize  to  the  utmost  the  manifold  opportu- 
nities presented  to  it  for  the  expansion  of  its  work. 

1 


Each  year  has  demonstrated  more  fully  the  possibilities  of  a  great 
international  organization,  such  as  the  Pan  American  Union.  The 
unfortunate  international  conditions  prevailing  in  Europe  have 
served  only  to  emphasize  the  important  service  that  can  be  rendered 
by  an  institution  devoted  exclusively  fo  the  furtherance  of  the 
common  cultural  and  economic  interests  of  an  entire  continent. 

COOPERATION    WITH    OTHER    AGENCIES. 

The  Pan  American  Unitin  has  established  the  closest  possible 
cooperative  relations  with  private  organizations  in  Latin  American 
countries. 

•  The  Union  is  in  constant  touch  with  chambers  of  commerce,  educa- 
tional organizations  and  philanthropic  associations  in  all  parts  of 
Latin  America,  furnishing  them  with  helpful  data  on  the  questions 
which  they  are  called  upon  to  solve.  Every  effort  has  been  made 
not  only  to  assist  these  associations  in  their  work,  but  also  to  bring 
them  into  close  touch  with  one  another  in  order  that  they  may  be 
mutually  and  increasingly  helpful. 

Close  relations  have  also  been  established  between  the  Pan  Ameri- 
can Union  and  the  Inter- American  High  Commission.  The  activities 
of  the  Inter- American  High  Commission — an  organization  intended 
to  give  effect  to  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  First  and  Second 
Pan  American  Financial  Conferences — have  a  close  relationship  with, 
and  in  many  ways  supplement,  the  activities  of  the  Pan  American 
Union.  The  two  organizations  have  been  able  to  be  of  real  service 
to  one  another,  and  we  may  confidently  look  forward  to  even  closer 
cooperation. 

It  is  also  fitting  that  I  should  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to 
express  a  deep  sense  of  appreciation  and  obligation  to  the  Bureau 
of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
of  the  United  States  for  constant  and  unfailing  helpfulness.  Through 
the  interchange  of  data  and  constant  readiness  to  be  of  mutual 
service  to  one  another,  the  Pan  American  Union  and  the  Bureau  of 
Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce  have  been  able  by  combined  effort 
to  further  many  matters  in  which  both  are  interested. 

THE  PUBLICATION  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 

1.     THE   MONTHLY   BULLETIN. 

Now,  as  in  1910,  the  monthly  Bulletin  is  one  of  the  most  important 
of  the  many  activities  of  the  Pan  American  Union.  Briefly,  it  con- 
tinues to  assemble,  publish,  and  circulate  among  the  Republics  of 
the  American  Continent,  by  means  of  its  three  editions,  a  faithful 
record  of  actual  conditions  in'  all  the  countries  included  in  the  Pan 
American  Union  with  respect  to  the  great  fields  of  human  activity 
and  endeavor,  such  as  commerce,  legislation,  education,  public  health 


and  sanitation,  agriculture,  manufacturing  and  industry,  and  inter- 
communication by  land,  sea,  and  air. 

I  have  referred  to  three  editions  only — Spanish,  English,  and  Portu- 
guese— the  French  edition,  established  in  1893  with  the  other  three 
mentioned,  having  been,  by  common  consent,  discontinued  in  June, 
1919.  These  three  editions  are  in  no  sense  counterparts — in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  some  of  the  material  in  each  is  identical — but  separate 
publications,  each  with  its  own  special  mission  over  and  above  the 
general  purpose  which  permeates  all  the  publications  of  the  Pan 
American  Union. 

In  perhaps  a  more  real  sense  than  ever  the  English  edition  continues 
to  discharge  its  very  special  and  particular  mission  of  interpreting  to 
the  people  of  the  United  States  the  genius  of  the  Latin  American 
peoples,  of  both  Portuguese  and  Spanish  extraction;  of  giving  her 
people  some  comprehension  of  the  manifold  phases  of  the  Iberian 
American  cultures,  using  this  term  in  its  broadest  significance;  some 
appreciation  of  their  achievements,  of  their  problems,  of  their  tradi- 
tions and  aspirations. 

In  equally  sincere  and  vital  manner  the  Spanish  edition  continues 
to  be  the  chief  interpreter  to  the  Republics  of  Spanish  speech  of  the 
genius  of  the  people  of  the  United  States;  their  achievements,  par- 
ticularly those  which  have  contributed  to  the  advancement  and 
well-being  of  humanity  at  large;  their  traditions  and  aspirations; 
their  present  trends;  and  whatever  there  is  of  help  and  inspiration 
in  their  historical  record. 

The  Portuguese  edition  is  an  important  point  of  contact  between 
the  great  Republic  of  Brazil  and  the  other  American  Republics. 
This  is  undoubtedly  true  of  the  United  States,  where,  unfortunately, 
the  Portuguese  language  has  not  to  date  received  an  attention  at  all 
commensurate  with  its  importance. 

Among  the  contributors  to  the  Bulletins  are  included  experts  in 
every  branch  of  human  activity,  many  of  whose  articles  in  the 
Bulletin  are  reprinted  later  in  pamphlet  form  for  a  still  wider  cir- 
culation than  that  afforded  by  the  magazines  themselves.  Apart 
from  these  special  contributions,  particular  attention  has  been  given 
in  all  three  editions  to  the  monthly  notes  under  the  general  headings 
of  education,  legislation,  agriculture,  commerce  and  industry,  inter- 
national treaties,  and  economics  and  finance.  To  this  end  the 
number  of  really  valuable  exchanges  has  been  greatly  increased;  a 
more  discriminating  selection  of  material  has  been  made  by  the 
readers  of  the  staff;  the  material  chosen  has  been  more  closely  coor- 
dinated, and  so  collated  that  a  unifying  thread  runs  progressively 
through  the  data  under  any  one  subject,  thus  giving  body  and 
coherence  to  what  would  otherwise  be  a  mass  of  rather  fortuitous 
and  totallv  unrelated  information. 


In  this  connection  it  should  be  noted  that  an  entirely  new  field 
has  recently  been  included,  under  the  heading  of  social  welfare,  a 
subject  to  which  the  Latin  American  countries  have  been  devoting 
a  constantly  increasing  amount  of  attention — a  fact  all  too  little 
known  in  the  United  States.  Under  this  heading  are  grouped  the 
latest  authentic  data  concerning  purely  modern  humanistic  activi- 
ties— that  is,  those  tending  toward  the  betterment  of  the  individual 
and  the  race.  Among  these  the  Bulletin  is  featuring  the  following 
movements  in  all  the  American  Republics :  Maternity  and  infant  wel- 
fare centers,  free  milk  stations,  school  breakfast,  and  lunch  centers 
for  undernourished  pupils,  municipal  playground  centers,  fresh  air 
outings  for  mothers  and  babies,  juvenile  courts,  child  labor  and  other 
legislation  protective  of  women  and  children,  university  extension 
courses  for  the  better  education  of  working  men  and  women,  Red 
Cross  activities,  the  feminist  movement  and,  in  general,  all  forward- 
looking  social  movements,  whether  national,  state,  or  municipal.  That 
this  new  field  is  of  immediate  and  wide  service  is  attested  by  the  fact 
that,  already,  the  great  official  and  private  institutions  for  human 
betterment  in  the  United  States,  such  as  the  Children's  Bureau,  the 
National  Child  Welfare  Association,  the  National  Educational  Asso- 
ciation, and  the  American  Red  Cross,  are  tending  more  and  more  to 
get  their  general  information  on  these  subjects  (in  the  Latin  American 
field)  from  the  columns  of  the  Pan  American  Bulletin. 

The  special  numbers  of  the  Bulletin,  in  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
editions,  devoted  to  certain  subjects  of  common  and  transcendental 
importance  to  the  peoples  of  the  Americas  as  a  whole,  have  been  con- 
tinued. Among  the  subjects  dealt  with  in  this  way  during  the  fiscal 
year  just  closed  maybe  mentioned:  Good  Roads  and  National  Pros- 
perity; Recent  Progress  in  Public  Health;  Child  Welfare;  Vocational 
Education;  Progress  in  Animal  Industry;  Community  Effort  in  the 
Elimination  of  Malaria;  and  Petroleum  in  the  Americas.  Judging 
from  the  favorable  comment  by  the  press  of  the  American  Republics, 
these  special  numbers  have  been  both  timely  and  welcome.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  press  comment  has  ranged  from  lengthy  editorials 
in  papers  like  La  Prensa  and  La  Nacion,  of  Buenos  Aires;  La  Prensa, 
of  Lima  (which  initiated  a  campaign  for  more  and  better  roads  as 
the  complement  of  the  Bulletin's  good  roads  number),  to  the  reprint 
in  toto  of  the  articles  referred  to  in  both  the  daily  and  periodic  press 
from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  It  may  be  added 
that  the  additional  special  issues  planned  for  the  near  future  include 
Infant  Mortality  in  the  Americas  and  How  to  Reduce  It;  Antialco- 
holism;  The  Housing  of  Workmen  and  Their  Families;  and  National 
Pure  Food  Guarantees  and  Inspection. 


It  is  also  worthy  of  note  that,  as  a  direct  result  of  each  special  issue, 
the  Pan  American  Union  is  deluged  with  inquiries  as  to  where  and 
how  the  material  mentioned  in  special  issues  may  be  obtained. 

No  account  of  the  Bulletin  would  be  complete  without  some 
mention  of  the  very  special  and  generous  cooperation  in  the  way 
of  articles  and  photographs  by  friends  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
particularly  by  those  scattered  throughout  Latin  America.  Among 
these  figure  former  members  of  the  Pan  American  Union  Governing 
Board,  members  of  special  missions  to  the  United  States,  delegates  to 
the  various  inter- American  conferences  held  at  Washington,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  numerous  consuls  and  consular  agents  stationed 
throughout  the  continent,  to  all  of  whom  the  Bulletin  is  deeply 
indebted  for  a  wealth  of  pertinent,  interesting,  and  valuable  infor- 
mation. The  Bulletin,  however,  can  not  have  too  many  points  of 
contact  if  it  is  to  be  in  any  adequate  sense  a  record  of  Pan  American 
activities.  It  would,  therefore,  take  this  opportunity  of  bespeaking 
a  still  wider  collaboration,  to  the  end  that  its  list  of  voluntary  special 
contributors  may  greatly  increase  in  the  near  future,  to  the  enrich- 
ment of  the  Bulletin  itself  and  a  constantly  increasing  usefulness  to 
its  readers. 

Closer  and  more  direct  contact  with  the  activities  of  women 
throughout  the  Americas  is  particularly  desirable  just  now,  not  only 
in  older  and  familiar  fields  of  beneficence  and  education  but  with 
those  more  recent  manifestations  of  concerted  effort  which,  the 
direct  result  of  universal  economic  change  and  upheaval,  tend  more 
and  more  to  bring  women  to  face  new  problems,  to  assume  new 
responsibilities,  and  to  fulfill  new  duties.  The  Bulletin  can  and 
should  be  the  central  exchange  for  the  latest  authentic  information 
concerning  all  such  activities,  and  to  this  end  the  Director  General 
bespeaks  the  friendly  interest  and  cooperation  of  all  national  asso- 
ciations of  women  and  women's  clubs,  generally. 

Another  most  desirable  contact  of  far-reaching  influence  and 
reciprocal  benefit  is  that  corresponding  to  certain  activities  of  the 
various  university  student  bodies,  especially  those  which  have  for 
their  object  the  spread  of  knowledge  and  culture  among  the  prole- 
tariat. The  universidad  popular,  or  university  extension  movement 
as  it  is  called  in  the  United  States  and  England,  is  growing  by  leaps 
and  bounds  in  some  of  the  American  Republics  and,  in  some  form, 
exists  in  all.  Sociological  experiments  of  common  interest  and  value 
to  the  American  Republics  are  being  carried  on,  and  here,  again,  the 
Bulletin  should  be  their  main  place  of  record,  their  inter-American 
organ  of  publicity.  This  can  only  be  brought  about  by  an  increased 
number  of  contacts  and  by  a  constant  and  generous  cooperation  in 
the  interchange  of  information. 
27972—23 2 


6 

Finally,  it  is  a  matter  of  some  pride  to  record  here  that  the  Bulletins, 
in  spite  of  the  difficulties  inherent  and  inevitable  to  publications  of 
their  special  nature,  have  for  the  last  two  years  appeared  with 
almost  unvarying  regularity  on  the  first  of  each  month  and,  in  the 
case  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  editions,  one  month  in  advance 
of  the  date  which  appears  on  their  respective  covers. 

2.  PAMPHLETS  AND  BROCHURES 

Aside  from  the  official  organ  of  the  Union,  issued  in  three  languages, 
as  just  described,  the  organization  publishes  brochures  of  uniform  size 
and  style  on  each  of  the  20  Latin  American  Republics.  These  are 
printed  in  editions  of  from  three  to  five  thousand  and  are  reedited  and 
revised  at  each  new  printing — at  least  once  a  year.  Similar  booklets 
on  the  capital  and  commercial  cities  of  the  individual  nations  are  pre- 
pared and  issued  as  need  arises.  Still  others  are  published  on  the 
commercial  commodities  of  Latin  America  in  which  the  general  public 
seems  to  bemost  interested.  Altogether  the  Union  has  issued  about  100 
publications,  largely  of  a  commercial  nature,  which  are  intended  to  con- 
vey to  readers  in  the  United  States  at  least  an  elementary  knowledge 
of  the  subjects  of  which  they  treat.  At  the  same  time  approximately 
one-third  of  these  pamphlets  are  published  hi  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
translations,  the  special  demand  for  them  being  in  schools  and  col- 
leges where  these  languages  are  taught  and  where  the  material  is  of 
exceptional  value  to  the  students,  as  is  evidenced  by  innumerable 
communications  received  by  the  Union  from  the  heads  of  such  insti- 
tutions. 

3.    REPRINTS  OF  BULLETIN  ARTICLES. 

In  addition  to  the  publications  just  described  there  is  still  another 
class:  I  refer  to  those  articles,  which,  originally  published  hi  the 
Bulletin,  have,  because  of  their  peculiarly  helpful  and  practical 
bearing  on  some  vital  community  problem,  been  reprinted  by  special 
request  in  pamphlet  form  for  distribution  in  specific  fields,  such  as 
schools,  sanitary  bureaus,  women  7s  clubs,  and  chambers  of  commerce. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  IN  DEVELOPING  CLOSER 
CULTURAL  TIES  BETWEEN  THE  REPUBLICS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CON- 
TINENT. 

The  Pan  American  Union,  as  it  grows  with  the  years,  gains  in 
importance  as  a  center  for  the  dissemination  of  information  among 
the  American  Republics.  It  was  to  be  expected  that,  as  the  scope 
and  purpose  of  the  organization  became  known,  greater  use  would 
be  made  of  its  facilities;  but  it  was  the  broadening  of  its  service  and 
its  initiative  in  the  offering  of  this  service  to  the  peoples  of  the  Ameri- 
cas, that  resulted  in  the  greatly  increased  demand  upon  the  Union 
for  Pan  American  material. 

The  expansion  in  research  service  was  mainly  possible  owing  to 
the  unique  library  possessed  by  the  Union — a  library  containing  not 
only  50,000  books  dealing  with  the  New  World  Republics,  but  also 
the  official  documents  and  leading  newspapers  and  periodicals  of  all 
the  Americas.  This  mass  of  material,  in  greater  part  card  indexed, 
has  permitted  the  preparation  of  special  memoranda  in  answer  to 
inquiries  on  an  almost  unlimited  range  of  topics. 

The  program  for  stimulating  inter-American  interest  is  a  broad 
one.  The  assistance  of  the  press  has  been  generally  given.  Special 
readers  at  the  Pan  American  Union  gather  news  material  from  the 
publications  printed  in  the  various  Republics,  and  this  material  is 
not  only  printed  in  the  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  English  editions  of 
the  Bulletin,  but  is  also  used  by  the  press.  Special  releases  are  pre- 
pared for  the  newspapers  of  the  Americas,  and  information  is  fur- 
nished daily  to  three  leading  news-gathering  agencies  which  supply 
cable  and  mail  service  to  the  press  of  the  world. 

Writers  of  feature  articles  for  newspaper  syndicates  are  now  using 
a  great  deal  of  material  obtained  from  the  Pan  American  Union, 
descriptive  of  the  Latin  American  Republics.  Such  material  has 
proved  of  interest  to  the  reading  public.  Upon  requests  from 
editors,  names  of  writers  capable  of  furnishing  authoritative  articles 
on  Latin  American  topics  from  first-hand  knowledge  are  suggested. 

The  Pan  American  Union  has  successfully  interested  publishers  in 
the  United  States,  in  the  translation  into  English  of  works  by  Latin 
American  authors.  One  of  the  leading  literary  translators  is  at 
present  touring  the  Republics  to  the  south  in  order  to  acquire  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  literature. 

The  Union's  collection  of  more  than  20,000  photographs  has  been 
made  available  for  use,  without  charge,  in  the  publications  of  the 
various  Republics.  Through  gift  and  purchase,  constant  additions 
to  this  collection  are  being  made.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the 
owners  of  several  South  American  publications,  current  photographs 
used  in  their  magazines  are  sent  to  the  Pan  American  Union  for 
distribution  among  the  illustrated  papers  of  the  United  States.  An 


8 

arrangement  has  just  been  made  for  supplying  noncopyright  photo- 
graphs appearing  in  the  press  of  the  United  States  to  Latin  American 
publications.  Requests  from  these  publications  for  photographs  of 
important  gatherings  held  at  the  Pan  American  Union  resulted  in  the 
installation  of  photographic  equipment  for  supplying  this  class  of 
pictures. 

Washington  is  attracting  an  increasingly  large  number  of  visitors, 
not  only  from  the  United  States  but  from  every  part  of  the  world, 
and  a  large  percentage  of  these  tourists  inspect  the  building  of  the 
Pan  American  Union.  This  offers  an  opportunity  for  acquainting 
them  with  the  resources  of  the  Latin  American  Republics.  The 
building  contains  an  exhibit  of  natural  and  manufactured  products 
of  the  American  Republics,  which  is  being  continually  augumented. 
Besides  having  its  educational  value,  this  exhibit  is  proving  of  ad- 
ditional service  in  bringing  those  interested  in  the  purchase  of  raw 
products  in  touch  with  the  actual  articles.  It  is  planned  to  accentuate 
this  feature. 

Information  in  the  files  of  the  Pan  American  Union  was  of  great 
service  to  those  who  brought  about  the  expansion  of  cable  facilities 
between  the  Americas.  The  companies  interested  in  radio  com- 
munication are  making  good  use  of  the  data  which  has  been  collated. 

Steamer  and  railroad  communication  receives  special  attention: 
On  exhibition  at  the  Pan  American  Union  is  a  large  relief  map  of  the 
Latin  American  Republics,  one  of  its  principal  features  being  a  graphic 
method  of  showing  railway  communications. 

Much  attention  is  given  to  the  fostering  of  travel  between  the 
countries.  The  first  conducted  tours  to  Latin  America  were  under 
the  direction  of  men  now  members  of  the  Pan  American  Union  staff. 
The  voyage  of  the  first  excursion  steamer  between  the  United 
States  and  South  American  ports,  with  over  800  tourists,  was  made 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Pan  American  Union.  Itineraries  are 
arranged  for  individual  travelers. 

Through  the  cooperation  of  officials  of  several  of  the  steamship 
lines  operating  between  Central  and  South  America  and  North 
America,  the  Pan  American  Union  is  furnished  with  advance  lists  of 
Latin  American  passengers,  their  United  States  addresses,  and  their 
expected  length  of  stay  in  the  country.  This  permits  the  Pan 
American  Union  to  extend  to  these  visitors  an  invitation  to  utilize 
the  organization's  facilities  in  carrying  out  the  object  of  their  mis- 
sions. It  is  the  intention  of  the  Union  to  expand  this  service. 

In  one  of  the  departments  of  the  Union,  information  relating  to 
plans  for  Pan  American  and  international  congresses  is  assembled 
and  indexed.  Publicity  given  this  class  of  data,  through  the  press 
and  by  correspondence,  has  created  an  interest  among  members  of 
the  various  professions  whose  attendance  is  desired.  The  result 


has  proved  most  helpful  to  the  success  of  these  meetings.  Through 
the  efforts  of  the  Union,  240  subscribing  members  from  the  United 
States  were  added  to  the  list  of  delegates  to  the  Twentieth  Interna- 
tional Congress  of  Americanists,  held  recently  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
Brazil. 

Scientific  expeditions  to  Latin  America  from  the  leading  museums 
and  geographic  societies  of  the  United  States  have  attested  to  the 
valuable  assistance  rendered  by  members  of  the  Pan  American 
Union  staff  in  the  formation  of  plans  and  in  the  general  development 
of  their  investigations.  The  museums  have  shown  their  apprecia- 
tion in  tangible  form  by  presenting  to  the  Union  rare  specimens  of 
Latin  American  fauna  for  the  exhibition  hall. 

Inquiries  regarding  musical  compositions  from  the  American 
Republics  has  caused  the  Union  to  secure  from  the  member  countries 
a  collection  of  musical  works  by  native  masters.  Many  of  these 
compositions  have  proved  so  popular  in  the  United  States  that 
plans  are  now  under  way  for  the  assembling  of  a  special  library  of 
such  material,  so  that  the  chief  musical  organizations  may  present 
complete  programs  by  Pan  American  composers.  The  leading 
manufacturers  of  phonograph  records  have  added  many  composi- 
tions by  Latin  American  composers,  heretofore  found  only  on  export 
lists,  to  their  general  dealers'  catalogue,  and  have  made  available 
the  national  anthems  of  the  Americas.  This  came  about  largely 
as  a  result  of  the  Pan  American  Union's  efforts  to  bring  the  peoples 
of  the  Americas  into  closer  acquaintanceship. 

As  the  home  of  the  Pan  American  Union  is  in  Washington,  it  is 
natural  that  its  officials  should  receive  many  requests  from  Latin 
America  for  material  published  by  the  various  departments  of  the 
United  States  Government.  The  chiefs  of  these  departments  have 
cooperated  to  the  fullest  extent  in  making  available,  throughout 
the  southern  Republics,  the  results  of  their  experience.  The  right 
of  reproduction,  in  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  editions  of  the 
Bulletin,  of  all  United  States  governmental  publications  has  been 
freely  given,  and  sets  of  the  more  technical  pamphlets  have  been 
furnished  for  transmission  to  Latin  America.  The  Union  has  been 
able  to  reciprocate  in  the  matter  of  plants  sent  by  botanical  gardens 
and  individuals  in  Latin  America  for  the  patio,  by  securing  for  them, 
through  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  specimens  of 
many  of  the  horticultural  marvels  gathered  by  agricultural  explorers 
in  the  Old  World.  Some  of  the  national  flowers  of  the  South  and 
Central  American  Republics  are  now  being  cultivated  in  the  green- 
houses of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  with  a 
view  to  their  general  introduction  into  localities  whose  climatic  condi- 
tions are  favorable  to  their  growth. 


10 

The  Pan  American  Union  has  called  to  the  attention  of  the  leading 
lecturers  on  travel  subjects  the  advisability  of  placing  before  their 
audiences,  at  leading  clubs  and  colleges,  personal  information  gath- 
ered in  the  nations  to  the  south.  The  suggestion  has  been  accepted 
by  many  occupying  important  positions  in  their  profession,  every 
assistance  being  given  by  the  Union  in  the  preparation  of  itineraries 
and  letters  of  introduction  to  Government  officials. 

At  the  International  School  of  Politics,  held  yearly  as  a  summer 
course  at  Williamstown,  Mass.,  the  Director  General  of  the  Pan 
American  Union  has,  for  the  past  two  seasons,  conducted  a  Central 
and  South  American  round  table.  A  series  of  addresses  on  Latin 
American  affairs  is  being  delivered  by  members  of  the  staff  of  the 
Pan  American  Union  to  the  student  bodies  of  leading  colleges  in 
Washington. 

The  possibility  of  utilizing  motion  pictures  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage, as  a  link  between  the  peoples  of  the  American  continent,  is 
recognized  by  the  Pan  American  Union.  Films  showing  Latin 
American  resources  and  industries  have  been  obtained  from  Govern- 
ment officials  and  private  organizations  for  exhibition  in  the  United 
States.  These  pictures  have  been  edited,  English  titles  provided, 
and  are  now  in  service  for  use  without  charge  other  than  that  of 
expressage.  They  are  being  shown  before  clubs  and  educational 
institutions,  and  are  proving  so  helpful  to  the  Pan  American  cause 
that  it  is  planned  to  expand,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  this  branch  of 
the  service. 

Through  an  organization  in  the  United  States,  supported  by  men 
of  means  interested  in  the  cause  of  visual  education,  the  Union  has 
been  able  to  secure,  for  use  in  the  southern  Republics,  collections  of 
educational  motion  pictures  covering  a  wide  range  of  topics.  These 
films  are  provided  with  Spanish  legends,  and  are  loaned  to  associa- 
tions, or  groups  of  citizens  forming  a  committee,  the  sole  restriction 
being  that  the  films  are  not  to  be  shown  where  an  admission  fee  is 
charged.  A  number  of  committees  are  taking  advantage  of  this 
offer.  Data  are  being  assembled  dealing  with  the  production,  in  the 
United  States,  of  motion  pictures  suitable  for  use  in  Latin  American 
centers  in  connection  with  campaigns  for  the  improvement  of  public 
health.  A  number  of  producers  are  giving  their  attention  to  the 
marketing  of  films  on  child  welfare,  sanitation  and  hygiene,  and  the 
use  already  made  of  this  material  is  most  promising. 

In  the  United  States  the  association  of  women  of  a  community 
into  a  club  for  study  purposes  has  become  general,  and  there  are 
to-day  several  thousand  such  groups,  some  of  very  large  membership, 
undertaking  some  form  of  educational  work.  The  Director  General 
of  the  Pan  American  Union,  addressing  the  president  of  these  women's 
clubs,  called  their  attention  to  the  new  responsibility  placed  on  women 


11 

by  universal  suffrage,  and  suggested  that  they  make  a  thorough  study 
of  the  sister  Republics  to  the  south.  Fullest  cooperation  was  offered 
these  clubs  in  the  preparation  of  programs,  a  selected  list  of  books 
from  the  Columbus  Memorial  Library  was  made  available  for  study 
purposes,  as  well  as  ten  sets  of  lantern  slides,  each  set  consisting  of 
120  Latin  American  views.  Articles  appearing  in  the  monthly  Bulle- 
tin were  also  made  available  for  study  purposes.  The  clubs  interested 
were  encouraged  to  devote  an  entire  season  to  each  Republic,  per- 
mitting special  musical  features,  and  the  display  of  the  national  flag. 
With  appropriate  motion  pictures,  lantern  slides,  and  addresses, 
enlightening  programs  were  arranged.  One  hundred  and  ninety- 
seven  clubs  accepted  this  offer  and  are  making  use  of  this  special 
service.  The  lantern  slides  made  by  the  Union's  photographer  have 
proved  so  satisfactory  that  the  original  loan  plan  has  been  expanded 
to  include  the  supplying  at  cost  of  sets  of  these  slides,  illustrative  of 
all  parts  of  the  Americas.  State  boards  of  education  are  also  aug- 
menting their  collections  by  the  addition  of  Pan  American  slides. 

It  is  the  belief  of  the  Director  General  that  the  scope  of  the  Pan 
American  Union's  activities  can  be  further  broadened  and  that  the 
services  already  undertaken  can  be  profitably  intensified.  It  is  his 
expectation  that  the  Union  will  continue  to  gain  in  importance  as  a 
center  for  the  dissemination  of  information  among  the  21  Republics 
of  the  New  World. 

THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  AS  A  CENTER  OF  EDUCATIONAL 
INFORMATION. 

A  Section  of  Education  was  organized  in  the  Pan  American  Union 
in  1917,  as  a  result  of  the  interest  in  this  subject  shown  by  the  Pan 
American  conferences  and  by  the  Governing  Board  of  the  Pan 
American  Union.  The  Third  and  Fourth  International  Conferences 
of  American  States,  held  in  1906  and  1910,  respectively,  authorized 
the  Pan  American  Union  "  to  supply  information  on  educational 
matters."  At  the  Second  Pan  American  Scientific  Congress,  held  in 
Washington  in  1915-16,  the  following  recommendation  was  made: 

The  Second  Pan  American  Scientific  Congress,  confirming  the  resolution  adopted  at 
the  First  Pan  American  Scientific  Congress  of  1908-9,  recommends  the  organization 
in  connection  with  the  Pan  American  Union  of  a  department  of  education,  which 
shall— 

(a)  Be  entrusted  with  the  publication,  in  Spanish , Portuguese,  French,  and  English, 
of  such  works  on  education  as  are  of  importance  to  the  American  countries: 

(6)  Keep  the  different  Republics  in  touch  with  educational  progress: 

(c)  Promote  in  each  country  the  scientific  study  of  educational  problems  from  both 
national  and  American  standpoints: 

(d)  Facilitate  the  interchange  of  ideas  and  information  among  the  teachers  of  the 
continent,  and  in  general  serve  the  educational  interests  of  the  Americas." 

The  Congress  also  strongly  recommended  the  study  of  the  history, 
development  and  ideals  of  the  American  Republics  in  schools  and 


12 

universities,  the  study  of  Spanish  in  the  United  States  and  of  English 
in  Latin  America,  and  the  interchange  of  students  and  educators  of 
all  grades. 

The  Governing  Board  of  the  Pan  American  Union  interested  itself 
especially  in  the  proposal  to  establish  a  Section  of  Education  and 
appointed  a  special  committee  to  study  the  matter.  As  a  result  of 
the  investigation  made,  on  May  2,  1917,  a  resolution  was  passed  by 
the  Board  directing  the  Assistant  Director  to  submit  at  the  November 
meeting  a  plan  for  the  creation  of  the  Section  of  Education.  At  the 
session  of  November  7,  the  Assistant  Director  indicated  as  the  most 
feasible  lines  of  work  to  be  undertaken  immediately,  the  obtaining  of 
all  possible  information  on  education  in  each  Republic  of  America, 
including  facilities  offered  to  foreign  students,  the  furthering  of  the 
interchange  of  students,  and  the  promoting  of  better  mutual  knowl- 
edge of  the  languages,  history,  and  progress  of  the  American  Republics 
through  educational  institutions,  leaving  other  recommendations  of 
the  Scientific  Congress  for  such  time  as  larger  appropriations  and  an 
increased  staff  make  it  possible  to  take  them  up.  The  Governing 
Board  at  its  meeting  held  February  6,  1918,  approved  this  plan  and 
the  preliminary  steps  that  had  already  been  taken  to  put  it  into, 
operation.  The  Section  of  Education,  therefore,  has  continued  to 
work  along  these  general  lines  for  the  past  five  years,  during  two  of 
which  it  had  the  services  of  an  educational  expert. 

From  the  beginning  repeated  efforts  have  been  made  to  obtain  all 
the  information  available  on  the  educational  system  of  each  Republic 
of  America,  including  annual  reports  of  the  national  educational 
departments,  statistics,  descriptive  material  and  courses  of  study  of 
universities,  professional  institutes  of  all  kinds,  normal,  secondary, 
and  primary  schools.  At  the  request  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, which  desires  to  promote  closer  scientific  relations  between 
the  United  States  and  Latin  American  countries,  a  special  questionnaire 
was  prepared  by  the  Section  of  Education  and  sent  to  all  the  medical 
schools  in  Latin  America. 

Considerable  material  regarding  education  in  the  Americas  has 
been  gathered  and  classified  by  the  Section  of  Education.  Lists  of 
various  kinds  of  schools,  learned  and  scientific  associations,  student 
organizations,  etc.,  have  been  prepared  in  response  to  the  constant 
demand  for  this  information.  With  the  data  thus  gathered  articles 
have  been  published,  mainly  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Pan  American 
Union,  describing  the  educational  system  of  various  countries,  or 
some  special  phase  of  public  instruction.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned a  series  of  articles  on  secondary  education  in  Latin  America 
(published  in  pamphlet  form  in  English)  and  a  Spanish  pamphlet  on 
the  university  system  of  the  United  States  with  special  reference  to 
Latin  American  students.  Important  data  has  been  collected  as 


13 

to  the  opportunities  for  the  study  in  different  professional  branches 
in  each  of  the  American  Republics,  as  well  as  of  the  openings  for 
foreign  teachers,  and  a  careful  record  is  kept  of  the  qualifications 
of  professors  from  the  Latin  American  countries  desiring  positions 
in  the  United  States,  and  of  those  from  the  United  States  wishing  to 
teach  in  some  Latin  American  Republic,  in  order  to  suggest  their 
names  when  opportunity  offers.  Relations  have  also  been  established 
with  the  important  educational  associations  of  the  United  States  and 
Latin  America. 

The  information  collected  by  the  Section  of  Education  has  also 
enabled  the  Pan  American  Union  to  answer  the  increasingly  numer- 
ous inquiries  it  receives  from  Government  officials,  universities, 
schools,  and  individuals  on  educational  matters.  For  example,  re- 
ports have  been  furnished  on  educational  legislation,  school  statistics, 
university  organization,  courses  of  study,  modern  type  of  construction 
for  medical  schools,  the  equipment  needed  for  a  school  of  industrial 
chemistry,  the  plan  of  organization  of  vocational  schools,  reform 
schools,  and  other  social  agencies.  American  colleges  and  universi- 
ties constantly  call  on  the  Section  of  Education  for  information  about 
the  schools  from  which  they  are  receiving  Latin  American  students. 

Much  time  has  been  devoted  to  the  interests  of  Latin  American 
students  in  United  States  schools  and  universities.  According  to  the 
latest  statistics  available,  there  are  some  1,500  in  higher  institutions 
alone,  and  at  least  as  many  more  in  preparatory  schools,  business 
institutes,  etc.  In  many  cases  these  young  men  and  women  come 
to  the  United  States  without  adequate  information  as  to  condi- 
tions. The  Section  of  Education  endeavors  especially  to  get  in  touch 
with  them  before  they  leave  home,  and  to  this  end  has  given  con- 
siderable publicity  to  the  services  it  offers;  is  forming  advisory  com- 
mittees of  teachers  in  Latin  American  countries,  two  being  already 
in  operation  (one  at  Habana  and  the  other  at  San  Jose,  Cost  Rica) , 
and  carries  on  an  extensive  correspondence  with  individual  students 
as  to  the  advantages  offered  by  different  institutions,  scholastic 
preparation  required,  living  conditions,  expenses,  etc.  While  all 
these  inquirers  have  not  come  to  the  United  States,  it  is  felt  that  a 
valuable  service  has  been  rendered  in  enabling  those  who  for  any 
reason  are  not  fitted  for  coming  to  realize  this  fact  before  they  leave 
home. 

The  Section  of  Education  has  been  in  touch  with  several  hundred 
Latin  American  students  and  young  teachers,  nearly  all  of  whom 
desired  to  take  up  distinctly  professional  subjects,  such  as  engineering, 
medicine,  dentistry,  pharmacy,  pedagogy,  commerce,  agriculture, 
natural  sciences,  architecture,  and  law,  the  first  two  mentioned  being 
the  most  popular.  Others  wished  to  enter  boarding  schools  to  pre- 


14 

pare  for  university  work.  The  Section  of  Education  takes  charge 
of  submitting  the  student's  credentials  to  the  institution  most 
suited  to  his  needs  and  arranging  for  his  admission,  a  service  which 
often  entails  considerable  explanatory  correspondence.  To  facilitate 
these  arrangements,  in  view  of  the  difficulty  experienced  by  American 
universities  in  understanding  the  form  of  certificates  used  in  Latin 
America,  the  section  has  prepared  a  special  blank  form  in  Spanish 
and  English.  One  of  the  aims  of  the  section  is  to  encourage  reci- 
procity in  the  acceptance  of  diplomas  from  secondary  and  higher 
institutions  of  the  Americas,  and  it  is  cooperating  with  the  American 
Council  on  Education,  a  semiofficial  organization  of  the  United 
States,  in  preparing  tentative  lists  of  acceptable  institutions.  For 
this  purpose  much  more  complete  data  than  is  now  at  hand  is  needed 
regarding  the  schools  and  universities  of  Latin  America. 

After  students  reach  the  United  States  there  are  several  organiza- 
tions that  are  ready  to  look  after  their  interests,  and  with  all  of  these 
the  Section  of  Education  cooperates  most  heartily.  When  desired, 
the  educational  section  sees  that  the  student  is  met  on  arrival,  keeps 
in  touch  with  him  during  his  university  course,  and  reports  to  his 
parents  or  relatives  on  his  progress.  A  special  effort  has  been  made 
to  provide  schools  where  recently  arrived  students  may  perfect 
their  knowledge  of  English,  and  to  enlist  the  interest  of  university 
authorities  in  giving  particular  attention  to  the  needs  of  Latin- 
American  students.  The  response  has  been  most  generous  from 
practically  all  the  higher  institutions  of  the  United  States,  to  the 
extent  that,  as  a  matter  of  special  courtesy,  61  universities  and  col- 
leges, 12  normal  schools  and  1  educational  association  are  ready  to 
cooperate  in  the  education  of  young  Latin  Americans  who  wish 
to  pursue  studies  in  the  United  States  by  making  special  offers 
that  range  from  the  remission  of  a  small  tuition  fee  to  a  special 
scholarship  of  $1,000  per  year.  Several  institutions  have  also 
consented  to  give  part-time  employment  to  young  teachers,  enabling 
them  to  study  without  expense. 

The  Section  of  Education  has  rendered  assistance  to  various  students 
from  the  United  States  who  desired  to  enter  universities  in  Latin 
America,  furnishing  them  information,  letters  of  introduction,  etc. 

The  interchange  of  professors  is  admittedly  a  more  difficult  prob- 
lem, but  the  Section  of  Education  has  constantly  endeavored  to  foster 
the  idea  through  correspondence  and  has  placed  a  few  individual 
teachers,  assisting  others  who  made  trips  of  observation  and  study. 
A  lecture  tour  through  American  universities  was  recently  arranged 
for  a  distinguished  Latin-American  professor,  and  was  referred  to 
by  one  of  these  institutions  as  a  real  service  to  the  cause  of  closer 
educational  relations  on  the  part  of  the  Pan  American  Union. 


15 

Having  in  mind  the  influence  that  may  be  exerted  through  the 
schools  and  universities  in  forming  a  true  Pan  American  attitude  of 
mind  in  the  younger  generation,  the  educational  section  has  given 
special  attention  to  the  recommendations  of  the  Scientific  Congress 
regarding  the  study  of  the  history,  development  and  ideals  of  the 
American  Republics  in  educational  institutions,  the  study  of  Spanish 
in  the  United  States  and  of  English  in  Latin  America,  and  has  urged 
these  in  every  possible  way  through  addresses,  the  providing  of 
helpful  material  for  teachers,  and  the  furthering  of  educational 
correspondence  between  school  children  of  the  Americas.  The 
section  is  constantly  endeavoring  to  improve  the  influence  exercised 
by  textbooks  dealing  with  Latin  America  by  the  elimination  of 
erroneous  and  unfair  statements  that  are  often  found  in  them, 
and  has  made  special  efforts — which  have  not  been  as  successful 
as  was  expected — to  secure  a  collection  of  national  histories  of  the 
Latin  American  Republics  that  might  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  prep- 
aration of  a  standard  textbook  in  English. 

It  is  gratifying  to  the  educational  section  to  note  that  there  has 
has  been  a  great  increase  in  the  number  of  persons  studying  Spanish 
and  Portuguese  in  the  United  States  during  the  past  five  years. 
In  1922  the  section  took  a  census  of  the  higher  educational  institu- 
tions, from  which  it  appears  that  out  of  425  institutions  reporting, 
404  teach  Spanish  and  12  Portuguese.  The  total  number  of  students 
of  Spanish  was  56,947.  This  does  not  include  normal  or  secondary 
schools.  Eight  universities  reported  over  1,000  students  of  Spanish, 
and  one  has  3,000  studying  that  language.  Although  no  statistics 
are  available,  from  information  received  from  time  to  time,  it  is 
believed  that  a  similar  advance  has  been  made  in  the  study  of  English 
in  the  schools  of  Latin-American  countries. 

THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  AS  A  SOURCE  OF  COMMERCIAL 
INFORMATION. 

The  commercial  information  disseminated  by  the  Pan  American 
Union  may  be  divided  into  four  general  classes — that  given  in  letters, 
in  printed  matter,  in  personal  interviews,  and  in  public  lectures. 

By  means  of  letters  and  printed  matter  the  Union  has  during 
the  past  13  years  fulfilled  the  requests  of  many  thousands  of  people 
throughout  the  American  Continent.  An  actual  count  of  incoming 
and  outgoing  letters,  which  has  long  been  maintained,  shows  that 
approximately  50,000  written  replies  to  inquiries  have  been  sent 
forth  annually  during  this  period.  Although  the  commercial  activi- 
ties of  the  Union  are  supposed  to  be  devoted  primarily  to  the  up- 
building of  trade  among  the  American  nations,  it  is  interesting  to 
record  the  large  number  of  requests  that  are  constantly  received  from 
European  institutions,  libraries,  individuals,  chambers  of  com- 


16 

merce,  and  governments;  and  from  similar  sources  in  China,  Japan, 
Australia,  and'Canada.  As  a  concrete  illustration,  I  recall  receiving  a 
few  months  ago  a  request  from  a  man  in  Java  for  certain  commercial 
data  on  the  Amazon  River  region.  The  Union  responded  with  a 
statement  containing  the  desired  information.  Evidently  this  mate- 
rial pleased  the  correspondent  and  met  his  needs  for  quite  recently  a 
communication  from  the  same  individual  at  Manaos,  Brazil,  stated 
that  he  was  sending  a  collection  of  Amazonian  woods,  which  he 
desired  to  present  to  the  Union  as  a  token  of  his  appreciation  for 
services  rendered. 

The  Pan  American  Union's  files  indicate  that  trade  associations  in 
every  American  State  have  made  use  of  the  organization's  com- 
mercial data.  Indeed,  such  bodies  have  been  constant  applicants 
for  general  and  often  for  the  most  minutely  detailed  data.  As  an 
illustration,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Chicago  relied  largely  on 
the  information  the  Union  supplied  when  the  former  proposed  to  open 
a  branch  in  Buenos  Aires. 

Corporations  covering  every  field  of  commercial  endeavor  have  come 
to  the  Union  for  information  on  a  multitude  of  commercial  subjects. 
For  instance,  one  of  America's  greatest  automobile  manufacturers 
was  considering  the  erection  of  a  branch  factory  in  a  South  American 
country.  The  officials  of  the  corporation  conferred  with  the  Pan 
American  Union  on  tlte  project  in  general,  purchasing  power  of  the 
people,  labor  conditions,  and  various  other  details  before  making  a 
final  decision.  Such  decision  having  been  reached,  the  corporation  sent 
a  delegation  to  Washington  to  confer  personally  with  the  head  of  the 
Union  and  his  assistants.  As  a  result  of  correspondence  and  personal 
interview,  a  growing  motor  car  manufacturing  industry  is  now 
established  in  a  South  American  Republic. 

Those  unfamiliar  with  the  calls  made  upon  the  Union  by  Latin- 
American  business  men  would  be  surprised  to  see  the  large  corre- 
spondence in  Spanish  and  Portuguese  that  flows  into  the  offices. 
Let  me  call  attention  to  a  few  illustrative  cases.  A  firm  in  Cuba 
owned  large  mineral  deposits  and  wished  to  sell  crude  ores  in  the 
United  States.  The  LTnion  suggested  the  names  of  certain  important 
corporations  that  consume  such  raw  materials,  and  the  Cubans  thus 
found  a  market  for  their  minerals.  A  firm  in  Guatemala,  desiring 
to  purchase  certain  building  materials,  applied  to  the  Union  for  the 
names  of  reliable  manufacturers  of  such  goods.  The  result  has 
been  a  mutual  interchange  of  raw  and  manufactured  commodities. 
Another  illustrative  case  is  that  of  a  Guatemalan  who  wished  to 
enlarge  and  improve  his  business  of  honey  production.  He  wrote  to 
the  Union  and  later  visited  its  commercial  offices,  and  therby  \\  as 
introduced  to  producers  of  honey  bees,  and  also  to  wholesale  dealers 
and  importers  of  this  product.  To-day  many  ships  between  Bar- 


17 

rios  and  New  York  bear  Guatemalan  honey  in  large  quantities  to  the 
American  consumer — a  trade  developed  by  the  aid  of  the  Union. 

The  progress  of  commerce  being  so  closely  interwoven  with  the 
movement  of  capital  and  labor,  the  Union  found  it  advisable  to  estab- 
lish special  divisions  to  maintain  close  relations  with  these  great 
forces.  From  the  daily  and  weekly  journals  and  from  other  sources 
in  Latin  America  the  Union  records  facts  and  information  on  labor 
that  affect  the  world  of  commerce.  This  information  is  passed 
regularlv  to  the  press  of  the  United  States  and  once  a  month  to  the 
International  Labor  Office  at  Geneva,  whence  still  wider  publicity  is 
given  to  the  data  thus  compiled. 

Since  the  close  of  the  Great  War  there  has  arisen  in  most  of  the 
financial  centers  of  the  United  States,  and  especially  in  New  York, 
an  increasing  demand  for  detailed  and  exact  data  regarding  the 
finances  of  the  Latin  American  States,  municipalities,  corporations, 
etc.  For  many  years  the  Union  has  been  supplying  information  in 
response  to  these  inquiries,  and  it  seems  reasonable  and  fair  to  credit 
the  movement  of  considerable  North  American  capital  to  the  Latin 
American  Republics  and  to  many  private  enterprises  operating  in 
that  part  of  the  world  to  the  accurate  information  supplied  by  the 
Union  to  banks  and  other  agencies  prior  to  the  consummation  of  a 
given  undertaking.  Within  the  last  two  years,  or  in  1921-22,  the 
demand  for  this  class  of  information  led  to  the  organization  of  a 
separate  division  at  the  Union  whose  duty  it  is  to  compile  and 
make  available  every  class  of  financial  data. 

American  students  in  colleges  and  universities  form  quite  a  large 
percentage  of  those  applying  for  information  of  a  commercial  nature ; 
and  these  requests  are  received  also  from  the  several  thousand  Latin 
American  students  who  are  coming  in  increasing  numbers  to  educa- 
tional institutions  in  the  United  States.  The  former  are  seeking 
information  regarding  the  commercial  status  and  progress  of  the 
Latin-American  nations,  while  the  Latins  desire  facts  about  the  trade 
of  the  several  American  States.  Still  another  field  which  the  Union 
cultivates  in  response  to  letters  of  request  is  that  of  supplying  at 
least  one  commercial  booklet  to  each  student  of  intermediate  schools 
all  over  the  land.  Additional  booklets,  often  in  large  numbers,  are 
supplied  to  students  and  teachers  at  the  actual  cost  of  paper  and 
printing.  Thus  the  information  disseminated  by  the  Union  to  the 
youth  of  the  Americas  is  of  inestimable  value  in  drawing  them  into 
a  fuller  acquaintanceship — a  potent  factor  that  underlies  the  devel- 
opment of  commerce. 

The  personal  interview  between  business  men  and  the  head  of  the 
Pan  American  Union  and  his  assistants  consumes  a  considerable 
amount  of  time  each  day,  for  there  is  a  never-ending  line  of  callers. 
The  subjects  in  which  these  men  are  interested  cover  a  diversified 


18 

field,  topics  in  which  they  desire  to  confer  in  a  more  extensive  way 
than  is  possible  by  letter  or  by  use  of  printed  matter.  In  this  respect 
the  Union  is  fortunate  in  having  available  on  its  staff  men  who  have 
not  only  traveled  in  Latin  America,  but  who  have  spent  years  in 
buying  and  selling  in  that  part  of  the  world  and  who  are,  therefore, 
able  to  give  advice  based  on  actual  observations  and  business  experi- 
ences in  the  field. 

Another  but  more  limited  field  is  that  of  the  public  lectures  before 
chambers  of  commerce  and  other  business  organizations.  If  the 
Director  General  or  his  assistants  could  accept  all  invitations  to 
talk  before  such  bodies  there  would  be  little  time  left  for  other  duties. 
Many  of  the  more  important  calls,  and  especially  those  within  easy 
reach  of  Washington,  are  accepted;  and  at  times  such  talks  are 
enlivened  by  use  of  stereopticon  slides  and  by  motion  pictures 
depicting  the  progress  of  commerce  throughout  Latin  America. 

THE  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  STATISTICAL  DIVISION  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN 

UNION. 

Prior  to  1910  the  compilation  and  publication  of  Latin  American 
commercial  statistics  had  been  irregular  and  not  upon  any  uniform 
basis.  In  that  year  it  was  determined  to  standardize  the  publica- 
tion as  far  as  possible,  to  issue  a  trade  report  for  each  of  the  countries 
and  a  general  survey  for  all  the  countries  for  each  year  with  compari- 
sons for  the  preceding  year.  This  plan  has  been  held  to  and  is  in 
operation  at  the  present  time. 

The  year's  trade  of  each  of  the  Republics  has  been  compiled  and 
published  for  every  year  since  1909,  in  all  over  200  separate  publi- 
cations. The  series  is  complete  except  for  Mexico,  for  which  data 
were  not  available  for  four  years,  1914  to  1917;  and  for  Guatemala  for 
the  year  1910.  The  publication  has  been  made  in  the  Monthly 
Bulletin  and  in  separate  pamphlets,  chiefly  in  the  latter,  although  in 
a  few  cases  the  statistics  have  appeared  in  both  forms.  The  com- 
pilations, varying  as  to  the  countries  and  the  available  data,  and 
running  from  about  8  to  50  pages  of  close  printed  text  and  tables 
covers,  in  all  cases  when  available,  the  complete  details  of  trade. 
In  compiling  the  statistics  of  the  annual  trade  of  the  several  Repub- 
lics it  has  been  sought  to  make  uniform  the  presentation  in  so  far  as 
it  can  be  done.  Complete  uniformity  is  not  possible  because  of  the 
absence  of  identity  in  the  bases  upon  which  the  original  statistical 
facts  are  collected  in  the  several  countries.  The  chief  sources  of 
variance  are  in  respect  to  valuations,  classifications  and  currencies. 
A  number  of  the  countries,  of  which  Argentina,  Uruguay,  and  Para- 
guay are  examples,  have  artificial  fixed  valuations  for  customs  im- 
ports that  bear  no  close  relation  to  the  actual  value  of  the  goods 
imported. 


19 

This  works  very  satisfactorily  as  a  basis  for  collection  of  revenues, 
but  for  statistical  purposes  the  result  is  far  from  satisfactory.  Rec- 
ognizing this  fact,  the  statistical  offices  of  these  countries  for  the  last 
three  or  four  years  have  issued  two  sets  of  figures,  one  of  " customs" 
valuation  and  one  of  "real"  valuation.  "Real"  valuations,  that  for 
several  years  have  approximated  double  or  more  than  double  "  cus- 
toms" valuations,  represent  more  nearly  the  correct  facts  of  trade 
statistics  and  have  made  possible  a  greater  degree  of  uniformity  in  the 
compilation  of  Latin  American  statistics. 

A  second  difficulty  militating  against  the  uniform  presentation  of 
Latin  American  statistics  has  been  found  in  the  divergent  classifica- 
tion system  in  use  in  the  several  countries.  This  difficulty  can  not 
be  overcome  by  any  statistical  readjustment.  The  statistical  classifi- 
cation systems  are  necessarily  based  upon  tariff  classifications  in 
Latin  America  as  they  are  elsewhere.  Nothing  short  of  uniform 
tariff  classification  and  nomenclature  (this  does  not  mean  necessarily 
uniform  tariff  rates)  can  serve  as  a  basis  for  entire  uniformity  in  trade 
statistics. 

The  third  difficulty  standing  in  the  way  of  uniform  statistics  is 
the  matter  of  variable  monetary  standards.  Where  standards  are 
based  upon  gold  or  where,  as  in  Argentina  or  Chile,  the  statistics  are 
collected  and  stated  in  gold,  even  though  the  actual  business  is  trans- 
acted in  paper,  there  is  no  difficulty.  But  where  the  statistics  are 
collected  and  stated  in  a  fluctuating  paper  currency,  as  in  Brazil,  or 
in  silver,  as  in  Guatemala  and  Honduras,  the  difficulty  of  making 
a  uniform  and  comparative  statistical  statement  is  very  great.  For- 
tunately in  the  case  of  Brazil  the  Brazilian  statistical  office  always 
furnishes  a  partial  statement  (covering  totals)  in  British  pounds 
sterling  at  the  commercial  exchange  rate.  Guatemala  and  Honduras 
also  furnish  partial  statements  in  United  States  gold  currency. 

Notwithstanding  these  difficulties  to  uniform  presentation,  the 
Pan  American  Union  has  found  it  possible  in  the  trade  reports  listed 
below  to  give  the  facts  upon  bases  approximating  uniformity.  The 
method  has  been  to  give  the  annual  trade  of  the  particular  country 
in  its  own  currency  and  in  United  States  gold,  this  conversion  being 
made  at  the  par  rate  when  the  standard  is  gold  and  at  an  estimated 
average  yearly  rate  when  the  standard  is  fluctuating  paper  or  silver. 
The  presentation  is  made  by  tables  and  explanatory  text  and  consists 
of: 

Ten-year  table  of  trade  in  the  gross,  imports  and  exports. 

Five-year  tables  of  imports  and  exports  by  principal  countries.  Whenever  pos- 
sible the  complete  list  is  given. 

Three-year  tables  of  imports  and  exports  by  major  classifications  of  commodities. 

Two-year  tables  of  imports  and  exports  by  minor  classifications  (and  articles  when 
possible)  by  countries  of  procedure  and  destination. 

Imports  and  exports  by  ports,  two  years. 


20 

There  has  been  compiled  and  published  for  every  year  since  1909 
a  general  survey  of  the  trade  of  all  Latin  America,  consisting  chiefly 
of  tables  with  textual  comment  and  explanations. 

The  trade  for  the  year  and  for  the  preceding  year  is  given  by  im- 
ports, exports,  and  increases  and  decreases,  all  reduced  for  sake  of 
uniformity  to  United  States  gold.  The  20  Latin  American  countries 
are  arranged  in  two  groups — North  American  Republics,  Mexico, 
Guatemala,  Salvador,  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Panama,  Cuba, 
Dominican  Republic,  and  Haiti;  and  South  American  Republics — 
Argentina,  Boliva,  Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Ecuador,  Paraguay, 
Peru,  Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  The  trade  is  given  for  each  country 
and  grand  totals  for  each  of  the  groups  and  for  all  Latin  America. 
Other  tables  show  the  distribution  of  trade  both  by  imports  and 
exports,  also  for  two  years.  The  same  arrangement  of  a  northern 
and  southern  group  is  preserved.  The  differentiation  is  for  the  four 
leading  importing  and  exporting  countries,  which,  except  for  the 
period  of  the  war  when  Spain  was  substituted  for  Germany,  have 
been  and  are  the  United  States,  the  United  Kingdom,  France,  and 
Germany.  It  is  customary  to  show  10  years  trade  of  all  Latin  Amer- 
ica, comparisons  of  before  and  after  the  war  trade,  distribution  for  10- 
year  periods  and  the  like,  by  lesser  and  less  detailed  tables.  The 
textual  matter  is  in  explanation  and  amplification  of  the  tables  and 
sets  out  the  salient  facts  of  the  trade  and  the  character  and  nature 
thereof.  Special  attention  is  given  to  enumeration  and  lists  of 
articles  of  import  and  export  in  general  and  as  applicable  to  each 
country. 

In  addition  to  the  fuller  statistical  compilations  listed  above,  the 
statistical  division  of  the  Pan  American  Union  has  prepared  and  fur- 
nished for  publication  in  the  Bulletin,  since  1910,  several  hundred 
notes  covering  partial  statements  of  trade  for  periods  less  than  a 
year,  of  special  ports  or  localities,  or  of  particular  industries. 

It  has  also  prepared  and  published  in  the  Bulletin  the  trade  of  the 
United  States  with  Latin  America  compiled  from  United  States 
statistical  publications  for  each  year  since  1910,  two  yearly  state- 
ments, one  for  the  calendar  and  one  for  the  fiscal  year,  i.  e.,  for  the 
year  ending  December  31,  and  for  the  year  ending  June  30. 

The  statistical  division  has  prepared  a  number  of  special  trade 
articles  all  of  which  have  appeared  in  the  Monthly  Bulletin  and  about 
one-half  have  also  appeared  in  separate  pamphlets. 

Several  hundred  special  compilations  have  been  prepared  by  the 
statistical  division  of  the  Pan  American  Union  for  the  use  of  the 
Director  General  or  at  the  request  of  correspondents.  Some  of  these 
have  appeared  in  trade  journals,  newspapers,  and  magazines,  but  the 
great  majority,  having  only  limited  interest,  were  never  printed. 
To  the  same  class  belong  the  answers  to  a  yet  greater  number  of  let- 


21 

ters  of  inquiry.  These  answers  which  required  a  great  deal  of  inves- 
tigation covered  in  general,  trade,  tariffs,  and  statistics  of  Latin 
America. 

THE  REORGANIZATION   OF  THE  INTERNATIONAL   SANITARY  BUREAU. 

The  Sixth  International  Sanitary  Conference,  held  in  Montevideo 
from  December  12  to  20,  1920,  reorganized  the  International  Sanitary 
Bureau,  increased  its  annual  budget  from  $5,000  to  $20,000,  and  gave 
to  it  a  wider  scope  of  activities  than  it  had  hitherto  enjoyed.  Article 
XXXVII  of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  that  conference,  and  under 
which  the  reorganization  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau  was 
effected,  reads  as  follows: 

(a)  The  Bureau  shall  be  composed  of  seven  members,  one  of  whom  shall  be  the 
Director,  another  the  Vice  Director,  and  a  third  the  Secretary,  all  appointed  by  the 
Sixth  Conference  and  by  each  succeeding  Conference. 

(6)  In  each  Conference  there  shall  be  selected  an  honorary  director  who  shall  be 
appointed  from  among  the  chiefs  of  the  department  of  hygiene  or  of  public  health  of 
the  American  Republics. 

(c)  In  the  interval  between  the  conferences  the  vacancies  of  members  which  may 
occur  shall  be  filled  immediately  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  remaining  members. 

(d)  The  duties  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau  shall  be  in  accord  with  those 
which  were  approved  in  the  Second  International  Sanitary  Convention  of  the  Ameri- 
can States  and  in  the  First  International  Sanitary  Conference,  and  shall  publish  a 
monthly  bulletin  entitled  "Boletin  Panamericano  de  Sanidad  de  la  Oficina  Sanitaria 
Internacional." 

(e)  The  said  publication  shall  be  in  the  English  and  Spanish  languages. 

(/)  For  carrying  out  the  foregoing  a  credit  of  $20,000  shall  be  available,  which  sum 
shall  be  apportioned  among  the  signatory  Governments  following  the  system  of  pro- 
rating used  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Pan  American  Union. 

(gr)  The  International  Sanitary  Bureau  shall  formulate  rules  and  regulations  for  its 
internal  administration  which  it  shall  put  in  force  immediately,  but  which  shall  be 
submitted  to  the  ratification  and  approval  of  the  Seventh  International  Sanitary 
Conference. 

(h)  The  members  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau  who  reside  a  long  distance 
from  Washington,  in  case  of  inability  to  attend,  may  be  represented  by  their  respective 
diplomatic  agents,  or  by  persons  appointed  by  the  respective  Governments,  'ti^  - / 

The  first  important  work  accomplished  by  the  International  Sanitary 
Bureau  since  its  reorganization  was  the  publication  in  Spanish  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  Sixth  International  Sanitary  Conference  of  Ameri- 
can Republics.  Soon  thereafter  the  Pan  American  Union  published 
a  special  Bulletin  entitled  "Los  IJltimos  Progresos  en  la  Sanidad," 
the  material  for  which  was  gathered  by  the  International  Sanitary 
Bureau.  This  bulletin  consisted  of  11  articles  contributed  by  men  of 
national  reputation  on  the  subjects  of  malaria,  yellow  fever,  bubonic 
plague,  leprosy,  pellagra,  typhoid  fever,  smallpox,  typhus  fever,  hook- 
worm, serums,  and  vaccines. 

Following  the  recommendations  of  the  Sixth  International  Sanitary 
Conference,  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau  issued  in  May,  1922,  the 


22 

first  number  of  its  monthly  publication  entitled  "Boletin  Panameri- 
cano  de  Sanidad  de  la  Oficina  Sanitaria  Internacional,"  and  up  to 
and  including  November,  1922,  has  issued  seven  numbers  of  this 
Bulletin  containing  articles  of  sanitary  and  public  health  value,  as 
well  as  observations  on  the  progress  of  sanitary  engineering  and  up-to- 
date  data  relating  to  the  prevalence  of  epidemic  disease  in  Latin 
America.  The  selection  of  the  material  for  this  Bulletin  is  under 
the  personal  direction  of  Asst.  Surg.  Gen.  J.  D.  Long  of  the  Public 
Health  Service  of  the  United  States,  who  was  appointed  by  the 
Director  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau,  Surg.  Gen.  Hugh  S. 
Gumming,  to  fill  this  important  post  because  of  his  long  experience 
and  special  fitness  in  work  of  this  kind.  Doctor  Long,  who  is  the 
head  of  the  Quarantine  Service  of  the  United  States,  generously 
donates  his  services  to  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau. 

The  seven  numbers  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bulletin,  which 
have  been  issued  up  to  and  including  November,  1922,  have  treated, 
among  other  things,  of  the  following  subjects:  (1)  Importance  of 
sanitary  cooperation  among  nations;  (2)  Differential  diagnosis 
and  extirpation  of  smallpox;  (3)  Present  state  of  the  leprosy 
problem  in  the  United  States;  (4)  Leprosy  in  the  Philippine 
Islands;  (5)  Treatment  of  leprosy  in  India;  (6)  Sources  of  chaul- 
moogra  oil;  (7)  Control  of  venereal  diseases;  (8)  Importance  of 
good  teeth;  (9)  Control  of  cancer;  (10)  Treatment  and  control  of 
diphtheria;  (11)  Progress  in  sanitary  engineering;  (12)  Recom- 
mendations of  the  First  American  Leprosy  Conference,  held  in  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  October,  1922;  (13)  Resumes  of  contagious  diseases;  and 
(14)  The  use  of  chlorine  in  the  purification  of  water. 

Another  very  important  work  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau 
was  the  -compilation  of  a  bulletin  of  112  pages  on  the  subject  of 
malaria  and  its  control,  and  the  publication  of  same  in  Spanish  and 
Portuguese  as  special  edition  of  the  Monthly  Bulletin  of  the  Pan 
American  Union.  These  bulletins  were  so  favorably  received  and 
were  in  such  great  demand  that  the  two  editions  referred  to  were 
practically  exhausted  within  a  period  of  less  than  60  days  from  the 
date  of  their  publication. 

The  Bulletin  of  the  International  Sanitary  Bureau,  the  edition  of 
which  is  3,000  copies  per  month,  is  being  sent  to  boards  of  health, 
sanitarians,  health  officers,  practicing  physicians  and  other  interested 
persons,  and  has  been  so  well  received  and  so  many  calls  have  been 
made  for  it  that  the  first  issue  is  now  almost  completely  exhausted. 

Broadly  speaking,  and  judging  from  letters  and  comments  from 
many  reliable  sources,  it  is  believed  that  within  a  year  or  two,  as 
soon  as  the  various  Latin  American  Republics  have  become  more 
familiar  with  the  work  and  activities  of  the  International  Sanitary 
Bureau  and  its  present  and  potential  possibilities  for  usefulness,  it 


23 

will  become  a  center  and  clearing  house  for  the  dissemination  of 
useful  information  relating  to  preventive  medicine,  and  especially 
•concerning  sanitation  and  public  health,  all  of  which  will  result  to 
the  mutual  benefit  and  sanitary  progress  of  the  countries  in  interest. 
The  consensus  of  opinion  is  that  the  time  has  now  come  for  a 
closer  understanding  and  special  cooperation  among  the  American 
Republics  for  the  purpose  of  standardizing,  in  so  far  as  may  be 
deemed  expedient,  sanitary  regulations,  quarantine  of  travelers, 
and  regulations  governing  imports  and  exports  of  freight  in  Pan 
American  traffic,  with  the  object  of  facilitating  commerce,  promoting 
good  will  and  insuring  against  the  spread  of  plague,  cholera,  yellow 
fever,  typhus  and  other  communicable  diseases. 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  Director  General  desires  to  take  this  opportunity  to  submit 
to  the  conference  a  matter  of  much  importance  to  the  Pan  American 
Union.  The  activities  of  the  Union  have  heretofore  rested  on  a  series 
of  resolutions  adopted  by  successive  Pan  American  Conferences.  It 
is  highly  desirable  that  these  resolutions  should  now  be  replaced  by 
an  international  convention.  Such  a  convention  would  give  to  the 
Union  a  more  definite  international  status  and  would  serve  to 
strengthen  its  position.  The  terms  of  such  a  convention  were  formu- 
lated at  the  Fourth  International  Conference  held  at  Buenos  Aires  in 
1910.  This  draft  is  reprinted  in  the  special  Handbook  of  the  Pan 
American  Conference  prepared  for  the  use  of  delegates.  The  only 
•changes  suggested  in  this  draft  are  as  follows : 

(1)  That  wider  discretionary  power  be  given  to  the  Director  General  in  the  matter 
of  the  publications  of  the  Pan  American  Union,  and  that  Article  VII  be  made  to  read 
as  follows: 

"The  Pan  American  Union  shall  issue  such  publications  dealing  with  the 
matters  contained  in  the  first  paragraphs  of  Article  II  of  this  convention,  as  the 
Governing  Board  may  determine.  In  order  to  assure  the  greatest  possible  accu- 
racy in  these  publications,  each  signatory  State  shall  transmit  directly  to  the 
Pan  American  Union  two  copies  of  the  official  documents  or  publications  which 
may  relate  to  matters  connected  with  the  purposes  of  the  Union." 

(2)  That  a  further  clause  be  added  authorizing  the  Director  General  to  provide  for  a 
civil  retirement  fund  for  all  members  of  the  staff  of  the  Pan  American  Union  receiving 
a  salary  of  $5,000  or  less.    This  would  exclude  from  the  provisions  of  the  retirement 
fund  the  Director  General  and  the  Assistant  Director,  inasmuch  as  these  two  officers 
hold  office  at  the  will  of  the  Governing  Board  and  need  not  be  included  in  the  retire- 
ment fund  provision. 

The  record  of  accomplishment  of  the  Pan  American  Union,  since 
the  inception  of  its  work  in  1889,  has  fully  justified  the  hopes  of 
those  to  whose  far-seeing  statesmanship  the  Union  owes  its  existence. 
The  first  three  decades  were  a  period  of  constantly  enlarging  useful- 


24 

ness,  and  the  four  years  that  have  since  elapsed  have  upheld  the  high 
standards  set  during  the  earlier  periods. 

The  record  of  the  last  34  years  is,  as  it  were,  the  opening  chapter 
in  that  larger  movement  for  Pan  American  cooperation  which  is  rap- 
idly progressing  toward  fuller  fruition.  The  Pan  American  Union  is 
called  upon  to  be  the  instrument  through  which  the  concrete  results 
of  such  cooperation  are  to  be  secured.  With  each  year  the  sphere  of 
its  usefulness  in  this  respect  must  be  enlarged  and  new  ways  found 
through  which  the  ties  between  the  Republics  of  the  American  Con- 
tinent may  be  strengthened. 

To  an  increasing  degree  the  Pan  American  Union  must  be  made  the 
most  important  center  of  information,  not  only  for  the  Governments 
of  the  American  Continent,  but  also  for  merchants,  manufacturers, 
educators,  and  all  those  interested  in  the  manifold  activities  of  national 
life  in  the  northern,  central,  and  southern  sections  of  the  continent. 
The  number  of  inquiries  received  is  increasing  with  each  year,  and 
it  is  the  aim  of  the  staff  of  the  Union  to  furnish  complete  and  accurate 
data  on  all  questions  submitted.  In  the  course  of  tune  the  Pan 
American  Union  should  increase  the  number  of  experts  attached  to 
its  service.  At  present,  the  Union  is  in  the  fortunate  position  of 
being  able  to  avail  itself  of  the  great  number  of  experts  attached  to 
the  executive  departments  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 
The  cooperation  given  by  these  departments  has  been  most  valuable 
and  it  is  most  fitting  that  acknowledgment  thereof  should  here  be 
made. 

In  addition  to  being  a  center  of  general  information  relative  to 
the  cultural  and  economic  activities  of  the  American  Republics, 
those  in  charge  of  the  work  of  the  Pan  American  Union  are  endeavoring 
to  make  it  to  an  increasing  extent  a  center  of  information  for  expert 
advice  on  the  problems  confronting  the  Republics  of  the  American 
Continent.  Through  the  Pan  American  Union  the  Government  of 
each  Republic  is  able  to  avail  itself  of  the  fund  of  experience  of  all 
the  others.  In  this  way  the  Union  is  able  to  strengthen  the  con- 
structive service  which  it  is  performing  to  all  the  Republics. 

The  scope  of  the  publications  of  the  Pan  American  Union  are  fully 
described  elsewhere  in  this  report.  The  splendid  results  accom- 
plished by  the  special  numbers  of  the  Bulletin  devoted  to  such  sub- 
jects as  "The  Elimination  of  Malaria,"  "Child  Welfare,"  and  other 
topics  of  interest  to  all  the  Republics  of  America,  indicate  that  the 
Union  should  further  enlarge  its  publication  activities  by  the  issuance 
of  a  number  of  special  series.  If  the  resources  of  the  Union  will  per- 
mit, it  is  our  hope  to  publish  an  educational  series,  an  agricultural 
series,  a  public  health  series;  each  series  devoted  to  monographic 
studies  setting  forth  the  latest  results  of  investigation  by  leading  ex- 
perts of  the  American  Continent. 

The  series  of  conferences  recently  held  at  the  Pan  American  Union, 
especially  the  Chilean-Peruvian  Conference  and  'the  Conference  on 


25 

Central  American  Affairs,  indicates  the  important  part  which  the 
Union  is  called  upon  to  play  as  the  scene  of  international  gatherings 
for  the  consideration  of  problems  of  mutual  interest.  This  phase  of 
the  Union's  activities  should  be  enlarged  with  each  year. 

In  the  Pan  American  Union  the  nations  of  the  Americas  possess  an 
instrument  of  international  approximation  of  \vhich  they  may  well 
be  proud  and  which,  in  these  troublous  times,  should  furnish  to  the 
world  an  example  of  a  group  of  nations  associated  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  their  common  interests,  and  of  placing  the  experience  of 
each  at  the  service  of  all.  By  the  orderly  processes  of  conference  and 
interchange  of  views,  and  without  the  slightest  attempt  at  compul- 
sion of  any  kind,  unity  of  purpose  and  unity  of  action  are  secured. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

L.  S.  HOWE, 
Director  General. 


APPENDIX. 

A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 

At  the  First  International  Conference  of  American  States  a  recom- 
mendation was  approved  on  March  29,  1890,  for  the  organization  of 
an  association  under  the  title  of  "  International  Union  of  American 
Republics"  for  the  prompt  collection  and  distribution  of  commercial 
data  and  information.  This  Union  was  to  be  represented  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  by  a  Bureau  called  "  The  Commercial  Bureau  of  the 
American  Republics,"  its  organ  of  publicity  to  be  a  publication  in 
English,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  French — the  four  languages 
spoken  in  Latin  America  and  the  United  States — entitled  "The 
Bulletin  of  the  Commercial  Bureau  of  the  American  Republics."  It 
was  also  provided  that  this  bureau  was  to  be  "  at  all  times  available 
as  a  medium  of  communication  and  correspondence  for  persons 
applying  for  information  in  regard  to  matters  pertaining  to  the  com- 
merce of  the  American  Republics."  To  defray  the  expenses  of  main- 
taining the  Bureau  the  sum  of  $36,000  was  set  aside  to  be  advanced 
by  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  which  was  to  be  reimbursed 
by  the  other  Republics  by  their  respective  quotas  in  proportion  to 
their  population.  Subsequently  the  Dominican  Republic  joined  the 
Union,  as  did  later  Cuba  and  Panama.  The  report  of  the  committee 
adopted  by  the  First  Conference  is  the  original  charter  of  the  Bureau. 

In  accordance  with  the  report  or  fundamental  charter  the  Bureau 
was  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United 
States.  In  practice,  it  was  found  that  this  provision  of  the  charter 
to  a  large  extent  nullified  the  international  character  of  the  Bureau 
as  intended  by  the  First  Conference. 

The  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States,  the  Hon.  Richard 
Olney,  on  April  1,  1896,  called  a  meeting  of  the  diplomatic  repre- 
sentatives in  Washington  of  the  countries  composing  the  Bureau,  for 
the  purpose  of  a  consultation  regarding  its  affairs.  At  this  meeting 
a  committee,  consisting  of  Senor  Don  Matias  Romero,  Minister  of 
Mexico,  Senor  Don  Salvador  Mendonca,  Minister  of  Brazil,  Senor 
Don  Jose  Andrade,  Minister  of  Venezuela,  Senor  Don  Antonio  Lazo, 
Minister  of  Guatemala,  and  Senor  Don  Joaquin  B.  Calvo,  Charge 
d'Affaires  of  Costa  Rica,  was  appointed  to  draft  a  plan  for  the 
reorganization  of  the  Bureau.  On  June  4,  1896,  the  committee 
reported,  recommending  the  creation  of  an  executive  committee  of 
five  members,  the  chairman  of  which  was  to  be  the  Secretary  of  State 

(26) 


of  the  United  States,  and  the  other  four  members  to  be  taken  in 
rotation  from  the  Latin-American  countries.  This  committee  was 
to  act  as  a  board  of  supervision  of  the  administration  of  the  Bureau. 
The  recommendations  of  this  report  were  agreed  upon,  and  thus 
became  the  first  modification  or  change  in  the  original  charter. 

On  March  18,  1899,  at  a  meeting  of  the  diplomatic  representatives 
of  the  member  countries,  a  further  enlargement  of  the  plan  of  the 
original  charter  was  agreed  upon.  The  executive  committee,  con- 
sisting of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States  as  ex  officio 
chairman,  and  four  representatives  of  the  Latin-American  countries 
(the  four  to  be  chosen  in  rotation  from  all  the  countries  composing 
the  Bureau),  in  addition  to  having  advisory  powers  was  given  the 
power  to  appoint  the  Director,  Secretary,  and  permanent  translators 
of  the  Bureau,  to  fix  their  salaries  and  to  dismiss  them  whenever  it 
seemed  advisable  so  to  do.  The  method  of  appointment  was  pro- 
vided by  the  plan  then  adopted  and  the  duties  of  the  Director  and 
subordinates  prescribed. 

The  executive  committee  was  by  this  plan  charged  with  the  duty 
of  general  supervision  and  perfecting  of  the  management  of  the 
Bureau.  This  was  the  second  change  in  the  original  charter  and  the 
one  that  made  the  Bureau  international  in  character,  as  was  intended 
by  the  First  International  Conference  of  American  States. 

At  the  Second  Conference  a  resolution  was  adopted  on  January  29, 
1902,  for  the  reorganization  of  the  Bureau.  In  Article  I  of  this  reso- 
lution it  is  provided  that  the  International  Bureau  of  the  American 
Republics  shall  be  under  the  management  of  a  Governing  Board, 
which  shall  consist  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  who  shall  be  its  chairman,  and  of  the  diplomatic  represen- 
tatives of  all  the  Governments  represented  in  the  Bureau  and  accred- 
ited to  the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The  reso- 
lution contained  13  articles  and  provided  in  detail  for  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Bureau,  and  conferred  upon  the  Governing  Board  full 
power  over  its  affairs.  The  name  of  the  Bureau  was  changed  from 
"The  Commercial  Bureau  of  the  American  Republics"  to  "The  Inter- 
national Bureau  of  the  American  Republics." 

The  Third  International  Conference  adopted  on  August  19,  1906,  a 
resolution,  signed  by  all  of  the  delegates,  for  the  reorganization  of  the 
Bureau.  This  resolution  did  not  change  in  any  particular  the  essen- 
tials of  the  resolution  of  Mexico  City  so  far  as  the  administration  of 
the  Bureau,  its  character  as  an  international  institution,  and  the 
work  to  be  performed  by  it  were  concerned.  It  did  change  many 
of  the  details  of  administration  within  the  Bureau,  and  imposed  upon 
it  additional  work. 


28 

The  action  of  the  Fourth  International  Conference  further  enlarged 
the  scope  of  the  organization  and  changed  the  name  to  that  of  "Pan 
American  Union/'  while  the  name  of  the  organization  of  American 
countries  which  support  the  Pan  American  Union  was  changed  to 
" Union  of  American  Republics"  instead  of  " International  Union  of 
the  American  Republics";  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the  Union 
was  made  Director  General,  and  the  Secretary  was  made  Assistant 
Director  and  Secretary  of  the  Governing  Board. 

Since  its  establishment  there  have  been  in  all  eight  Directors  of 
the  Bureau,  as  follows:  William  E.  Curtis  (1890-1893);  Clinton  Fur- 
bish (1893-1897);  Joseph  P.  Smith  (1897-98);  Frederic  Emory 
(1898-99) ;  W.  W.  Rockhill  (1899-1905) ;  William  C.  Fox  (1905-1907) ; 
John  Barrett  (1907-1920) ;  L.  S.  Rowe  (1920  to  date). 

The  present  assistant  director,  Francisco  J.  Yanes,  is  a  Venezuelan 
and  has  held  responsible  posts  in  the  foreign  service  of  that  country. 
He  represented  the  Union  at  the  Fourth  International  Conference  of 
American*  States  held  at  Buenos  Aires. 

o 


